Flight: Rising
by Francesva
Summary: Catfish is a 12 year old girl with a love for dragons. So when she signs up for Dragon Training Academy, and is put in Hiccup's class, she's thrilled. But dangers and stories of the past are lurking in the shadows. When the time comes for Catfish to go out into the forest, she doesn't find a dragon. She finds something she didn't think existed. Contains OCs, and violence.
1. Dragon Swarm

**A/N: Hi again. My computer crashed, and all my Gothic and Talented stuff was gone. So, I'm really sorry about that. ALWAYS BACKUP YOUR STUFF. Remember that. But, anyway, I wanna send I thank you out to Hamsterjellyman because he made me realize a few things I was doing wrong in my stories. Thus, the first 2 chapters of this are done, and you will get to read the whole thing. OH and yes, this is the first in a series. So if you like it, read the sequel! So anyway, this chapter is kind of draggy, but it is the intro chapter. The next chapter is also super draggy, but after that, things will pick up. Trust me. WOW, I better stop babbling and let you read! :DD**

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_Catfish Valorson. That's my name. I know, it could be better. But in all honesty, I'm happy with my life. I live on an island in the middle of Viking territory. It's called Berk and it's a place where cute puppies are spat on, there's no such thing as a rainbow, and little kids are exposed to things they should see when they're 20. Excluding all that, there is only one upside to this small village. Dragons. Dragons fill the island to its capacity. Everyone has a dragon._

_All except me, and 50 other kids. We haven't been through dragon training class, and as a result, my little sister, Emberlight, and I are signing up. I will not stand to be the only one on this island without a dragon. So, anyway, I begged my mom, and she said yes. Tomorrow is the first day, and I really want to be in Hiccup's group. See, we're all being divided up into classes. Hiccup's going to have 10 kids, Astrid's going to have 10 kids, Snotlout's going to have 10 kids and so on. I'm a little worried about how this will turn out, but I guess we'll have to see in_ _the morning._

Catfish snapped awake. She turned her head to see her younger 8 year old sister, Emberlight, tugging on her arm. "Come on sissy! It's time to go eat breakfast, and afterwards, we'll go sign up for Dragon Training class!" The little red head girl exclaimed. The 12 year old stumbled out of bed, and used the wall for support. She tripped, fell, and slid down the stairs and into the dining room. "Good morning, my little night owl!" Her mother cheerfully greeted.

"Morning, mom." Cat responded, plopping herself down in the chair. Ember yawned, and began eating the fish that had been neatly set on the table. "Hey, I wonder, if we got Hiccup as our teacher, what would we call him? Mr. Haddock?" Ember asked, giggling. Catfish put her dirty blonde hair behind her back in one large sweeping motion. "I doubt it. Knowing Hiccup, he'd probably want you to just call him Hiccup." Their mother responded.

"Oh, girls, you had better go upstairs and get dressed. It's almost time to go!" Catfish perked up, plate now empty, and raced up the stairs, Ember not being far behind her. The 12 year old grabbed her clothes from the closet, and raced into the bathroom. She threw her nightgown off, and piled her clothes up on the floor. Cat tugged her white long sleeve shirt over her head, pulled on her black leggings, slipped on her white shorts over them, and put her black boots on.

"Catfish! Ember! It's time to go!" Their mother called. "Coming!" Catfish yelled, and she heard Emberlight running down the stairs. The blonde haired girl threw open the door and raced after her younger sister. "All right girls, let's go! Oh and Cat, don't forget your cape!" Their mother exclaimed, and Cat grabbed her white mini cape on the way out.

Tying the string around her neck, Catfish stepped outside and into the brisk, cold air. "You are the slowest person on Berk, Catfish!" Ember shouted back at her, birds beginning to flood her arms. Emberlight had a weird... talent? Power? No one really knew why or how. Most animals were very attracted to Ember. Some say they do it to protect her, thinking she's one of their own young, but Catfish thought it was most likely because she was one of the smallest people on Berk.

The 8 year old girl was really quite small for her age, and maybe the animals tried to protect her, thinking she was a runt. Then again, didn't most animals reject their runts? Again, no one really knew why or how. Ember was now being swarmed by Terrors, their mother trying help her shoo them off. Cat snapped out of her thoughts. A crowd was forming, and the terrors weren't leaving. They weren't attacking but they wouldn't leave her sister alone.

"Mom, I'm gonna go find Hiccup!" Cat yelled, thinking of the 15 year old who probably knew the most about dragons. Cat began running in the direction of Hiccup's house. When she finally got there, panting heavily, she slammed her fist down on the door. The ever-famous Hiccup opened the door, and Cat began babbling, like she always did. "!Inmyopinionyou'retheonlyonewhocanhelpher!" She yelled at him, talking so fast it all became a blur. "Slow down and tell me again." He responded calmly.

"My sister... being swarmed... terrors..." She panted, now out of breath from speed talking. "Oh, I know just the thing. Where is she?" His asked. "By the fire bowl, my mom's with her." Catfish responded, pointing toward the large black bowl in the center of the village. "All right, I'll be there in just a sec!" He closed the door, and Catfish ran back. She slid to a stop and gaped. The dragons were fighting now! A Nightmare had gotten involved, and was trying to fight the terrors, thinking they were attacking the small girl.

Unfortunately, this was normal for the Valorson family. Every time the threesome left the house, something like this might happen to Catfish or Emberlight. Ember was now screaming, the Nightmare was blowing fire over her head and at the Terrible Terrors. "EMBER!" Cat yelled desperately, not knowing what else to do. Suddenly, and eel randomly came flying at the huge swarm of dragons. The Terrors scampered off, the Nightmare not being far behind them.

As the Terrors flew off, they revealed Hiccup, who had apparently been standing behind them. "E-Eel?" Ember stammered, still very shaken. "Yes, dragons are highly… well, they either are offended or afraid of eels. So I'm going to assume you two are going to sign up for Dragon Training Academy?" Hiccup asked, Toothless also appearing, and scampering over to his best friend. "Um, yes. Thank you, Hiccup, for throwing the eel." Cat and Ember's mother also walked over. "Of course, anytime!" Hiccup paused, and turned to face her. "I can sign them up for you. I don't want you guys to have anymore trouble." He finished. "Oh, that would be wonderful!" She responded, using her 'Mother Charmingness' voice.

After they were signed up, Cat realized the day was rapidly reaching its end. She sighed, and suddenly felt a familiar nudge on her back. She turned around to look right into the stunningly green eyes of Toothless. Toothless was always everywhere in the village, and always wanted attention. "Hi Toothless." Cat responded to his begging. No one called him bud, because that was Hiccup's special thing for him. It wasn't a requirement, just something no one did. "I'll see you tomorrow in DTA, Toothless!" Car exclaimed, and skipped to her house, knowing tomorrow was going to be quite an exhausting, yet fun, day.

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**A/N: Like it? I hope so! BTW Catfish and Emberlight don't know a lot about dragons, so that's why they didn't know about the eel. Oh, and also about the eel, did anyone ever notice that Toothless didn't seem afraid of the eel, but maybe, offended? He didn't run away, but he did hiss. So that's why I decided to make Hiccup not be completely sure about that. Anyway, plz review! I love you guys so much when you review! :D**


	2. Emberlight and the Pony

**A/N: Wow! 86 visitors! Didn't expect so many! :DD So anyway, like I said, this chapter is also draggy. Especially in the introduction of the class scene. I promise, it will pick up next chapter. Ok, so I will normally update on Thursdays, this is an oddball, I'll let you know if it'll be a little behind or before. So anyway, thank you Cyclone Sword, Skyshadow392, and Xela3 for reviewing! It made me feel all warm and fuzzy! And thank you, all you guest reviewers! You guys were awesome too! :DD So, anyway, read on! ^^**

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So,_ Hiccup's first impression of us? My guess is that he thinks we're trouble prone, we have no knowledge of dragons, and that we go run crying to someone else when we have a problem. All of which are true. So, at this point, it's probably unlikely that he'll choose us for his group. Anyway, I'm almost done with breakfast, my heart is racing a thousand miles a minute, and Emberlight is having problems with a pony that won't leave her alone._

Catfish held her mother's hand so tightly to the point where her mother's face looked pained. "Darling, there's nothing to be afraid of." Catfish looked up at her mom, and said, "But what about all those crazy girls who think Hiccup is hot, and will be mean to everyone else? What about all those guys who will be total show offs and wanna try to be the best? All of them will race past me like a herd of horses, and I'll be trampled!" "Dear, you mustn't think like that.

There are only 9 other students in your group, and one of them is your own sister. I'm sure it'll be fine." Her mother responded. Catfish wasn't calmed by her mother's words, though. "Yee haw, pony!" Emberlight shouted, for she was riding on the back of the mare that had been following her around all morning. "Dear, don't scare the pony! I think you should get off her. She could be wild, after all." Their mom stated simply. "But I don't wanna!" Ember pouted. "Well, we're here, so it's time to get off her anyway." Catfish chimed in, rather nervously. She and her sister stared at the large chained dome looming over them.

The gates were wide open, and lots of teens and kids were scattered all over the cracked, metal floor. "All right, I'll see you all later!" Their mother exclaimed, walking off. Ember tried to shoo the pony away, but it refused to leave her side. They sat down nearby, not knowing what they were waiting for. Catfish looked around, deciding to observe her surroundings. The spaces that had been used to hold dragons captive, had been expanded, and made into five separate classrooms. _Only five? Oh wait, don't the twins teach a class together? I wonder how that goes…_ Catfish thought to herself.

"All right guys and girls! Welcome to the grand opening of Dragon Training Academy!" Hiccup exclaimed, and everyone cheered. "You guys are the first students to ever be participating in DTA! So, we have accepted the first fifty students to sign up, and you guys were lucky enough to make it in! Now, everyone will be assigned a teacher! Astrid if you would, please." Astrid stepped forward on cue and began reading from a list. "We can start with Hiccups group!" Catfish's heart began pounding very hard. " The students in his group will be: Angelwing Enderlyn, Arrowgaze Freadlyn, Catfish Valorson, Emberlight Valorson, Fireblade Elenson, Hailstone Farenson, Hawkwind Tymenson, Oakleaf Archenron, Shadowcore Maudenen, Stormaxe Myenon. All right, Hiccup I can take it from here." Astrid finished.

Catfish was so excited, and she saw a reflection of her feelings on Ember's face. "All right guys, let's go!" Hiccup said to his new group, and the 10 students rose from their seated positions. They all met up with Hiccup at the exit to the training arena. "Ok, so, why don't we go get know each other? For today, we can hang out in Toothlesses cove, and just have a day to hang out and relax. Sound good?" He asked. The group all nodded, eyeing each other. "What should we call you?" Emberlight asked shyly, as the class began following Hiccup. "You can just call me Hiccup. No need for Mr., Prince, or whatever you guys have up your sleeve." He responded. "Wait, prince?" A tall black haired boy asked. "Yes, foreigners used to think I was a prince, so that's what they called me." Hiccup responded, looking back at everyone.

"Um, uh, is it, um, o-ok if I, um, ask a q-question because I…" A younger white haired girl attempted to ask Hiccup a question. She was barely audible, her words eventually turning into small mumbles so no one could hear her. "What was that?" The older 15 year old teacher turned to ask. "Uh, nothing." She said quickly, turning bright red. _Hm, interesting group of people._ Catfish thought to herself. After that, the group was silent. Soon, they arrived at the familiar bowl shaped area. "Here we are! So why don't we tell each other our names and age? Why don't we start with you, and we'll go around." Hiccup said, pointing at the same white haired girl that had seemed very shy.

"A-Angelwing. 10." Is all she said, and then ducked her head down shyly. Hiccup then looked at Emberlight. "Emberlight, 8." Cat's little sister said, with a lot more confidence then Angelwing. "Catfish, 12." Cat said. "Arrowgaze, 12." The brown haired guy next to her said, his arm slung around his friend. "Fireblade, 13." The black haired friend to Arrowgaze said. _They seem pretty friendly._ Cat thought, curious to know more about them. "Hailstone, 13." The red haired girl next to them said. "The glorious, and amazing Hawkwind! Eh, just kidding! My amazing age? 11!" A red brownish haired guy exclaimed. _Class clown._ Catfish thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Oakleaf, 12." A pretty blonde haired girl said, tossing her hair over her shoulder dramatically. _Oh boy…_ Cat thought to herself, feeling that this girl might be a problem for her. "Shadowcore, 13." He was wearing a deep black hood and cloak, so she couldn't see his face. He removed it, to reveal his jet black hair, and electric blue eyes. Cat was kind of freaked out by this guy. Lastly, was a dark browned haired guy. "Stormaxe, 13." He said, and finally introductions were over.

"Ok, wow, nice names! So, how much do you guys know on dragons?" Hiccup asked. "A lot. Night furies like to eat beef, make sure that when a Gronkle is sleeping, you get on the side that shows you its belly, and if a Zippleback tries to attack you, tie it's necks up, or confuse it." Stormaxe talked really fast, and was acting like a know-it-all. "Show-off…" Cat heard Oakleaf mutter, and Catfish agreed.

"Wow, um, ok. But that's fighting tactics. We're going to learn how to train dragons as mounts, obviously. Yes, you'll get your own dragons, but not for another 3 weeks. We need to learn everything we can about dragons before I let you guys loose into the forest, to bond with your own dragon." Hiccup told them. "Oh, we're all out of time guys. I'll see you tomorrow, Toothless will lead you back to Berk, I'm staying here for a little while." He finished, and gestured at Toothless. No one said anything on the way back, and Catfish couldn't help but think _With all these interesting people, I wonder how tomorrow will go…._

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**A/N: Quite an interesting group of people, if I do say so myself. Other than Cat and Ember, my favorite is Angelwing! She's so sweet, yet so shy... she's just so cute! Review, and tell me who you're favorite is! If ya do, PM me an OC, and it could their mother, father, or sister! :D You have to PM me or review though... ^^**


	3. Gobber's Tales of the Forest

**A/N: Couldn't wait till morning... ^^. OK, so, anyway, it didn't pick up quite as much as I thought it would. It might feel a little rushed at some parts. But anyway, this is certainly going to be an _interesting_ chapter. Lots of very fantasy like things in this one, but I think you'll like it. Also, check out my new website Defenders of Berk! Here's the link (Delete the spaces and the & signs between the letters): &H&T&T&P& : / / defenders of berk. blog spot . c o m **

**OH and most of you liked Angelwing, so she has a little scene in the beginning. Keep submitting those OCs! I also need dragon OCs, if you have those. Anyway, here's the story!**

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_Ok, so today is the first day of real training. Hiccup said we're gonna work with Toothless in observing dragon body language. I'm curious to know more about this, but also, I wanna learn more about my classmates. They seem very different, and some of them also seem like they could be quite interesting. I guess we'll just have to see how today goes…_

Angelwing looked in the large green eyes of Toothless. "Um, Y-Your g-great highness M-Mr. Hiccup… s-sir?" The shy girl stammered, still staring at Toothless, beginning to turn red. "Yes, what is it Angel?" Hiccup replied kindly, knowing now that this girl was very easily offended, and she was very, very shy. "Uh, um, his p-pupils won't t-turn big." She responded, trying hard to scratch his soft spot.

"Then you're doing it wrong. Let me show you." Hiccup walked over and leaned over her shoulder, causing Angel to turn so red she looked like a red hot pepper. He showed her what she was doing wrong, and then she scratched him, and his pupils finally enlarged themselves, causing him to faint. "Good, now guys since you understand a bit about their behavior, why don't we go listen to more of Uncle Gobber's tales?" Hiccup stood up, and turned to face the rest of the class, which had been watching Angelwing as she took her turn.

"Sounds like fun!" Catfish exclaimed, feeling more comfortable with the class. Soon, all ten kids (including Hiccup) found themselves on top of one of Berk's watch posts, listening to Gobber's far-fetched stories. "… And with one kick and roll, tha' old troll found himself cryin' like a baby!" The older blacksmith finished proudly. "Woah! You mean he just collapsed?" Arrowgaze asked excitedly. "Ye doubt meh?" Gobber asked, one eyebrow raised. "No no, just asking." Arrow quickly said. "And I'm jus' teasin' ya." The overweight man chuckled. "Well anyway, I 'ave one more tale for ya." He said, and began telling the story.

**Flashback**

_Gobber ran through the forest, trying to get away from the ever-annoying Boneknapper. When it flew off finally, the blacksmith realized he was lost, and it was getting dark. "Well, I guess I should set up camp." He exclaimed, starting to build a hut out of leaves and twigs. When he was finally done, he switched his hand to an axe, and started out into the forest to hunt. When he had two deer over his back, and was heading to the hut, he heard a whinny. __Spinning around, there stood a beautiful horse, so black it was almost invisible in the night. When he looked closer though, he saw something he never expected to see on a horse. His eyes widened, and he raced back to the hut, trying to find a possible explanation. Slumping down, he ate the deer, and came to a conclusion._

**_Flashback end_**

"What was on the horse?" Hiccup asked, curiousity getting the best of him. "A pair of…" Gobber paused dramatically. "Wings!" He finished flapping his arms. "You look like a drunk doing that." Shadowcore whispered, and Gobber cleared his throat, turning slightly red. "Well, um, yes. A winged horse." He said. "A Pegasus? Come on! Those don't exist!" Stormaxe huffed. "Yes, they do!" Gobber replied. "Guys, it's getting late. Tomorrow is another day of training and you need your rest. I think you should all go home, and I'll see you tomorrow." Hiccup said to the kids, and they all grumbled, but obeyed.

Cat tossed and turned that night. She couldn't stop thinking about that Pegasus, and she didn't know why! The blonde girl got up, and went to the window, looking out at the village. Suddenly, she saw a shape. It was on the bridge! _ 'There stood a beautiful horse, so black it was almost invisible in the night.' _The words echoed in Cat's head. When she snapped out of her thoughts, she looked at the bridge once more. The shape was gone. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she slipped out into the night. She ran across the dirt, her bare feet slapping the ground harder than she meant to. When she reached the bridge, she inspected the dirt, looking for signs of a horse. Just as she was about to give up, she saw a curved shape in the soft ground.

"A hoof print!" She exclaimed, excitedly. She looked around for more hoof prints, but there were none. "Strange…" She whispered to herself. Suddenly, a whinny sounded behind her. She whirled around, and there stood the horse. "Hey, I won't hurt you…" Cat whispered to it, and looked at it closer. There were scars along its neck. "Hey, were you abused?" She asked it, and the horse stared down at her with promising eyes that almost said 'Yes'. She reached out to pet it, but it shied away, and looked at her with eyes clouded by hate and fear. The horse galloped away and into the forest. "There's no such thing as a Pegasus, Gobber only saw a horse." Cat smiled, rolling her eyes.

As she strolled back into her house, she couldn't help but wonder about those hoof prints, and how there were none others around that area. "Hm. It probably just had a long stride in it's gallop." She said to herself, humming a small tune. She hopped into bed, and pulled the covers up over her head, falling into a deep sleep.

_Cat was in a room, with only one window and one door. She had no clothes on whatsoever. It was night outside, and there was a shape just outside the house. It had wings, and it was also very tall. Slowly, Catfish opened the door, and looked out at the shape. It was a horse, she realized. Suddenly, it spoke. "Hello. I didn't expect to meet you here tonight, young Catfish." It said, looking up at the starry sky._

_"Who are you?" Cat asked. "I am someone you will come to know in the future. But for now, I will only see you in your dreams. However, I will always be able to speak to you through your dreams." The Pegasus tossed her mane, looking back at the young girl. "Really? How? Why?" Catfish asked, interested in this Pegasus. "Too many questions. All will be revealed eventually." And suddenly, it was_ gone.

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**A/N: Hmm... Pegasus *hint hint*. Quite a _mystery_ if I do say so myself. ^^ I'm teasing you guys. Well, anyway, next chapter is slightly boring, but after that things get alot more interesting, trust me. I'm the one with sheet that says so. :D Review plz! You guys will get hugs! And also, plz PM me about the OCs. That would be awesome, thanks in advance! ^^**


	4. Whinnies in the Distance

**A/N: I am truly sorry for the wait. I can't promise to be on schdule again for a while, but I'll try to update as much as I can. So this chapter is a little sloppy, and it gets kinda sad at the end. Oh, and credit goes to Xandrea because I'm using her Nightmare, Vail, in a small part. So anyway, enjoy!**

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_I think I'm crazy. I had a weird dream about a Pegasus, and now, all I think about is her. Or him? I dunno, I'm losing my mind! I'm such a mess! How is it, that uncle Gobber's story is effecting me so much? It's just a story... Right? Anyway, I hope Hiccup won't notice my tiredness in class today... But of course, he will. And on only my third day. Sigh. That's my life for ya. Up, down, up, down, up, down..._

Catfishes eyes snapped open. She jolted upright, causing her bed to squeal. Images of the winged horse flashed through her mind. Her breathing became more and more rapid, as she thought of last night's events. "Catfish!" Emberlight yelled from the hallway, causing an already jumpy Cat to scream. "What? What happened?" Ember stood in the doorway, looking at her frazzled sister. "N-Nothing! I'm fine! What's your problem?" Cat snapped.

Ember put her hands up, and backed up a few steps. "Nothing, geez. Just came up to say that it's time for breakfast." The 8 year old responded, turning around to march down the stairs, leaving Catfish to change and come downstairs. As soon the shaky preteen had eaten, they left for DTA. The blonde walked through the iron gates, and saw Hiccup and the rest of the class in one of the classrooms.

Catfish and Emberlight walked over to the area. "Ah, Cat, Ember, glad you could join us... Er... Catfish, are you alright?" Hiccup asked the half asleep girl. "HUH? Oh y-yes! I'm fine!" Catfish jerked awake. "If you're not feeling well..." Hiccup started, eyeing her. "No, no, I'm fine, I promise." The 12 year old responded. "All right. Anyway, has anyone seen Shadowcore?" Hiccup asked, looking at the group.

So far, only Hailstone, Angelwing, Oakleaf, Fireblade, Arrowgaze, and Hawkwind had arrived. Stormaxe and Shadowcore hadn't arrived yet. "Are you looking for me?" A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around poor Catfish. The blonde was turning a deep red, for everyone knew that Shadow was the most handsome guy in the class other than Hiccup. All the girls in DTA were very much in love with him. Even Cat had a slight crush on him.

"You don't wanna hug that filthy mutt! Hug me instead!" Oak opened her arms wide, expecting Shadow to crash into her, and make out with her. Instead, he looked at her like she had gone mad. "What? Is there something on my face?" Oak looked hurt. "No, I'm just very comfortable hugging Catfish." Shadow responded, and Cat felt him shrug his shoulders. The poor girl squirmed uncomfortably, but sadly, that only made Shadow sit down and rest his head on top of hers affectionately.

"Um, ok, so has anyone seen Stormaxe?" Hiccup asked, trying to ignore Shadow's flirty mood. Shadow had two different sides. A dark, shy side, and a flirty mysterious side. He showed his flirty side more, which resulted in girls loving him. "I'm here." Stormaxe walked into the area and plopped down. "Ok, well, then I guess we can start the lesson! We can go to Toothless' Cove today."

"Could you please let go of her?" Oak asked sweetly. "Why?" Shadow asked, looking at her innocently. "Um, she has B.O." Oak sniffed. "No, she doesn't. Do you?" Shadow said, raising his eyebrows. Catfish covered her mouth with her palm and snickered. "Um, GUYS!" Hailstone shouted, standing up stiffly. "I wanna get the lesson started!" She spat, looking annoyed.

"Yeah, seriously guys." Hawkwind said un-seriously, putting on a pair of nerd glasses, a fake nose, and a fake beard. Everyone laughed, and found themselves in the cove , soon. Catfish kept hearing noises as they had walked, and would whirl around to see if it was the horse. But it was always a squirrel, or the wind. "Ok guys, let's ride some dragons!" Hiccup exclaimed. "WHAT?!" Everyone shouted, excitedly. Hiccup had told them they wouldn't be flying for quite a while. "No, no flying. Just ground work. We have some dragons for you guys to use!" Hiccup exclaimed.

On cue, Astrid, Stormfly, and a bunch of other dragons flew in. Astrid seemed to be herding them in. "Ok guys, I'm gonna pair with your partner for until we get real dragons. You'll take care of them, and learn their ways. You might even get to keep them, if you make a real bond." Hiccup smiled at all his excited students. "Give me a minute to talk to Astrid, I'll be back in a few." He said the same thing twice, because he always got nervous when alone with Astrid. The blond teen grabbed her boyfriend's arm, and dragged him off.

When she stopped, she slugged Hiccup in the arm. "That was for treating me like your slave." She spat, angrily. "What? Then, why-" He was cut off by Astrid pressing her lips against his, while strangling his rib cage. "That was for... I actually don't know what that was for." She shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, I just wanted you to tell your mom that I'm going to keep the dragons here for a while." Hiccup said. Astrid's mom was the dragon keeper of Berk, and she was in charge of the places the dragons went. Everyone had to come to her if they wanted to take some of Berk's dragons that didn't have owners somewhere else.

"I had better get back to the kids, Shadowcore might be teaching them how to curse people, or Hawkwind might be doing something so funny the kids die of laughter, or-" Hiccup was cut off once more by his beautiful girlfriend. "Stop worrying. I'm sure they're fine."

*Meanwhile*

Shadow was trying to start a fire, while Catfish was swimming for her life in the freezing cold lake, and everyone else was either chanting scary curses with Shadow, or trying to help Cat from freezing to death. "So who's ready for... CATFISH!" Hiccup entered, then spotted the poor girl trying to escape death. He dashed down the bank, yelled at Shadow and the boys to stop chanting curses, and called for Toothless. Said Night Fury was at Hiccup's side in minutes.

The teen mounted, and they were off. Toothless swooped down, and grabbing the shivering girl. When they dropped her on land, she fainted. "Ok guys, we gotta go to the healer. You guys walk back, I have to hurry and get Cat to Gothi." Hiccup instructed, and plopped Catfish down on Toothless.

As they flew, Catfish started to awaken. "Dad... Dad... in the lake... Cold... Drowned... Mom... Sad...because of... d-dragons..." Catfish murmered, in a trance. Hiccup looked at her, mouth wide open. That explained why her dad wasn't around. Poor girl. "Um, just stay with me, You're dad would, uh, want you to stay alive, I think." He said, urging Toothless to go faster. When they landed, he noticed that Catfish had tear streaks in her eyes. "It's ok, you'll be alright." He soothed, carrying her with all his strength inside the house. "Gothi, uh, I mean elder, it's an emergancy!" He shouted, and the old woman came hurring out.

"Oh my... Put her on that bed there." She gestured to the nearby bed. Hiccup settled the shivering girl down. Catfish was as pale as the white sand beaches on Berk. He heard the door behind him, and Cat's younger sister, Emberlight, came rushing in. The smaller girl was panting heavily. It looked as if she had run all the way from the cove. "Is... she ok?" Ember panted heavily. "I think she'll be all right." Hiccup turned around to see that the elder was already busy at work.

"Oh, and Elder? Can a nightmare come in? She seemed concerned about Cat, though I have no idea why." Ember asked. "Yes, of course." She responded kindly. Ember opened the door, and the nose of a nightmare popped in. "Hello, Vail." Hiccup smiled at the dragon. The nightmare squeezed her head in, and reached her long neck over to sniff Cat.

She groaned worriedly, and cast her eyes downward. "It's all right, Vail." Ember assured her, and suddenly, Vail pulled her head out, and wandered off. "Ahem, anyway, may I speak to Cat alone? I think she's waking up." Hiccup asked. "Of course." Ember and Gothi said at the same time. Gothi took Ember's hand and led her outside.

"Hey, what happened? Oh yeah..." Cat said, remembering the events that had taken place that day. "Um, why were you out in the lake? I thought I had forbidden that." Hiccup said, a little sternly. Catfish looked up at him, and then sat up in bed, wrapping the furry blanket around her. She began telling him the Oakleaf had pushed her in the lake, and she couldn't stop her, because she had been so tired. "Why were you tired?" He asked sounding skeptical. Cat launched into the last night's events, about the dream, and what actually happened to her. "Look, Cat, I don't think you should let Gobber's stories get to you. They're just stories. Maybe you should get some rest." Hiccup said, running a hand through his dark brown hair.

"Sorry." She mumbled. "It's ok. I'll see you tomorrow Cat." He walked to the door, then paused, and turned around. "Oh, and please, no more lies about what other students did. You're better than that." Then he turned and walked out the door, slamming it behind him. Tears welled up in the poor girl's eyes. She hadn't lied! The person she thought would become like a brotherly figure to her, had just slammed the door in her face. Catfish had never felt so alone in her life before.

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**A/N: AWWW POOR CATFISH. I feel so bad for her! Almost freezing to death in a lake because of mean old Oak, getting fussed at by Hiccup, and no one is sticking up for her! :'^( At least Vail likes her. I wonder why... There's a reason for everything! I guess you'll have to read the next chapter to find out! Review plz! I love it when ya do! ^^**


	5. Dragons, Dragons, and more Dragons!

**A/N: Sorry for such a wait! With school starting, my head's been spinning! Ugh... anyway, romance! Warning! ^^ And it involves Shadowcore... :D Such a handsome devil! BTW if you want to know, he kinda looks like Jack Frost from Rise Of The Guardians, just with black hair. :p Anyway, enjoy! Oh and Vail belongs Xandra, not me!**

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This_ feeling I've gotten, it feels like my head has been dunked in an ice cold bucket, and no one will give me a towel. And I still have to survive the rest of the week. I hate Oak. But... Do I also hate... H-Hiccup? I'm awful mad at him... But... Yet... I just can't describe it. I l-love him like a brother, but I also hate him. I... Don't know what to do. Odin, help me._

Catfish stared at her dark brown boots. She didn't want to go to training. But yet, there stood her mother above her, glaring down at her. "You will go, and you will apologize to Hiccup for lying about Oakleaf." She snapped. Cat nodded in robotic like way.

Soon, she found herself sitting on the metal floor of the training arena. All the other classes had gone elsewhere to work on DTA material. "Ok guys, I want to talk to you about something. Number one rule here: No. Lying. Ever. I have an extreme pet peeve about rudeness and lying is in that category." Hiccup looked at Cat, unhappily.

"Anyway, the good news is that in two and a half weeks, we will get our own dragons. I'll let you loose into the forest, and with all your knowledge, you'll stay out there until dusk, or until you find a winged reptile. Also, Our first flight will be coming up soon. Like I was going to do yesterday, I'll be pairing you up with dragons!" Hiccup beamed at his students, whom all cheered. Except for Catfish, who only fake smiled.

"You'll be responsible for that dragon until you go out into the forest to get your own. Or if you make a good bond with him slash her, and you want to keep him slash her then you can keep him slash her. Anyway here's the list: Catfish with Vail the Nightmare, Emberlight with Flashfang the Timberjack, Hailstone with Freadlyn the Gronkle, Oakleaf with Ayawen the Nadder, Angelwing with the only white Skrill on the island, Snowflash, Fireblade and Arrowgaze will share Bang and Crash, a zippleback, Shadowcore with Mist the only winged Whispering Death on Berk, and finally, Hawkwind with Blizzard the Changewing." Hiccup finally finished.

A parade of dragons came marching out. Vail came over to Cat, and eyed her. Cat looked at the Nightmare with cautious eyes, wondering if this dragon wouldn't trust her as well. 'All right, I'll let you all have time to bond with your dragons, and in the meantime, I'll be going to get some care supplies for you guys. Be careful, especially you, Angel. I can't have you getting electrocuted." Hiccup said, walking out of the arena.

Cat looked at Vail, and ducked her head down, not knowing what to do next. Vail stared at the girl, then chortled. She nudged her, and Cat sighed. _What's wrong?_ The Nightmare almost seemed to be saying. "It's ok Vail. Everything's... fine, I guess." Catfish huffed again, stuffing her hands in her pockets. Vail shook her head, and snorted, feeling doubtful of the girl. Catfish looked up at her temporary partner, and reach out her hand. Vail met it, without hesitation.

It was a few minutes before Cat was the one to pull away. Vail cooed, and suddenly the peace was broken when they heard Angel squeal. Her hair looked like it had been shaped and styled to look like a giant hairball on top of her head. Cat rushed over, instantly trying to help her fellow classmate. "Angel! Are you alright? What happened?" Hiccup came running in, dropping the bags of various equipment used to care for a dragon. "I tried to pet h-her, and s-she electrocuted me!" The white haired girl squeaked, clutching her bloody hand. It was obviously paining her very badly. "I know of a plant that helps burns!" Catfish said, and ran out of the ring without waiting for a response. She dashed into her house, knowing that the only aloe plant the island was there, and it belonged to her. Seeing the herb, she grabbed it, and forgot that aloe was normally covered in thorns.

She grabbed and ripped up the plant, making sure _not_ to touch the thorns, and ran out the door, and back to the group. Catfish squeezed into the small group, and then grabbed Angelwing's hand. She strangled the part of the aloe, ignoring the sharp thorns digging into her skin. The white goo poured out onto Angel's hand. A look of relief washed over her face. "T-Thank you." Angel offered a small smile. "You're welcome." Cat responded, returning the smile. "How did you know? What plant is that even? Are you sure it isn't poison? For all we know, you're trying to poison her!" Oak blurted out, refusing to let Cat be forgiven. "I trust her enough to know it's safe." Hiccup replied, and smiled warmly at the blond girl. She beamed, while Oak pouted.

"And, you're forgiven." Their teacher added. Cat grinned even wider, feeling like her life was right again. "GROUP HUG!" Hailstone giggled, and everyone practically squeezed their teacher until he turned red, and Cat was the last to let go. The next day, they found themselves working on how to mount a dragon, and stay on it while it ran. Some were bounced right out of their tack, while others just held on for dear life. "Looks like a full moon tonight." Hawkwind snickered, as he eyed Oakleaf's rather large bouncing rear end. Everyone laughed, and Oak turned red with fury. "You all are so immature! Well, except for Shadow and Hiccup. Right boys?" Oak batted her eyelashes dramatically. Cat snickered, as Hiccup and Shadow stared at her dumbly. "What?" Oak turned red.

"Nothing..." Hiccup said, turning away to help Hailstone up, who had just been bucked off Freadlyn. Meanwhile, said Gronkle had decided to go to sleep. "Oh no you don't." Their 15 year old teacher threw an eel in front of Fread's face. The dragon jumped, and scurried to Hail's side, hissing. Vail nudged Catfish, and the blonde patted her nose happily. All was well. So, the day after that was a bit different. This was a blacksmithing lesson, on how to make a saddle. Hiccup showed his class how to stitch up the sides of the saddles, and such. While everyone else came up with stuff that fitted the dragons they wanted later, Catfish found herself thinking of the horse, and a saddle that might fit it's back.

She got to work, and found that when she was done, it looked nothing like any saddle anyone had seen before. "Um, I think that's made for someone riding a donkey. Good thing it suits you." Oak said, as she walked by Cat's station. "What are you even doing here?" Catfish spat at her. "I wanted to see Shadow's progress, and ask him out." Oak said, smirking. That got to Catfish. Jealousy smacked her in the face very hard. "Don't be jealous, besides, you can always have your pet donkey to comfort you." The 13 year old smirked, and tried to walk on, but smacked into Shadow's chest. "Oh, uh, I didn't see you there cause I..." She was cut off by his lips pressing against hers.

Cat was shocked, and hurt. Oak arched into him, trying to clutch his back, to have even a little bit of control. Shadow didn't want that though, because he broke off rather quickly. "Go sit over by your saddle, I'll talk to you in a minute." He said, his electric ice blue eyes piercing Oak's stunning green eyes. "Anyway, that was to get her to listen to me. So, can I show you something tomorrow night?" He asked, turning to Cat once Oak had left. All the hurt and jealousy instantly faded in Cat's heart. "Uh yeah sure. Wait, you can't just kiss a girl and tell them it was nothing!" Catfish said, being more mature than Oak would ever be.

"Oh can't I?" He asked, and grabbed Cat's waist, forcing her to stand up, and slammed his mouth against hers as well. It was then that Cat realized he was very tall. The top of her head only came to his chin, forcing her head to thrust backwards, and his to lean down. His hands moved to her cheeks, and her wide, open eyes closed. Her own hands came up halfway, but just hovered in midair because Shadow was putting even more pressure on her lips. This was her first kiss, she suddenly realized. She felt his tongue move slightly, but it still stayed back, torturing Cat, which seemed to be his goal.

Before she tried to open her mouth, he broke the kiss. He looked at her for a minute, trying to read her expression. Apparently, Cat looked stunned, and he seemed satisfied. So, with that, he walked off, his black cloak flying behind him. The blonde girl had never been so deeply in love before. She was dazed and confused, but it made sense. He probably kissed a lot of girls to either stun them, or get them to listen to him. "You guys are so dramatic!" Cat heard Hiccup say from his room next door._ So true._ The 12 year old thought. Suddenly, Oak ran by sobbing.

"Catfish Valorson, you dare steal my feature boyfriend?!" Oakleaf sobbed. "What? No, I'm just coming over to his house as a friend!" She responded. "Yeah, right! That's not what he said!" The girl screamed, and ran off. "Wait... what?" Cat was super confused now. She thought that kiss hadn't meant anything! Right? That night, she was doing anything but sleeping. He first crush, her first kiss, her first enemy, her first... date? The poor girl was so confused, and now there was this 'pegasus' to worry about! That's when the equine like squealing was brought to her attention. She shot out of bed, and looked out her window. There stood that same horse. Suddenly, a pair of wings shot out from the horses sides, and it flew off.

Cat stood there dumbly. She was just about to break down. Yet she knew she couldn't. Tomorrow was another day, and hopefully, maybe things would clear up then. The next day, Shadow avoided her. He was obviously trying to keep Catfish confused, and it was working. It was part 2 of Blacksmithing, and this time, they were making headpieces. Cat's was a beautiful thing, yet, again, it was made for the horse. Or pegasus? Catfish clutched her head. She might have been losing her mind.

"Sis, are you ok? Is it Shadow? Look, don't worry about it! I'm sure you'll have a great time!" Emberlight was in the doorway, trying to comfort her older sister. "Thanks, I'm ok." Cat said, and looked down at her feet. "Ok, well, I was passing by to go to the tool room, so, I'll just go. Shadow's a great guy, and I approve of him." Ember said. "Ember, I approve of your crushes, you don't approve of mine." Cat said, being serious, yet friendly. "I know, I know." The red head responded, and left to go next door. Catfish stared out the door, and at the hallway where Ember had been.

She didn't know what to do, with forty five minutes left of class. So, the blonde began drawing. She only drew when she truly needed comfort, and it was always with her eyes closed, because she knew all her drawings were always the same, and always really good, even though she hated all of them. She hoped someday she could find that comfort in Shadow, or Hiccup, but for now, drawing was her escape. She sketched, and sketched until Hiccup called the class out front.

When she opened her eyes, she saw her dad. Tears stung her cheeks. She was just a girl, going through all the pains of having lost her dad three years ago, having her first crush and kiss, and having someone who truly hated her for the first time in her life. Plus, that pegasus or horse, whatever it was, it seemed to be the icing on the cake. "Catfish! Come on!" Hiccup called. "I... I..." She was at loss for words, and began sobbing. Hormones did not help. "I'll be right back." She heard Hiccup say to the others. "I'll come too." She also heard Shadow say, which kind of surprised her. "Catfish what's wrong?" She felt a hand touch her shoulder lightly.

"Oh. I see." She knew it was Shadow, but her vision was focused on something else. What she saw, was the last thing she expected to see. There stood the pegasus (This time she saw the wings), in the window, looking down with saddened eyes. Yet, what shocked her most was the thing Shadow said next. "It's been a while, Mystery."

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**A/N: CLIFFHANGER! Ahh, the drama! Anyway, Review, and I have a suprise for you next chapter...**


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